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Four of the most intriguing teams in the nation will be competing in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week for the inaugural women's competition at the Players Era Championship. There will be no shortage of action inside Michelob Ultra Arena as the lineup includes three Final Four teams.

No. 3 UCLA will be takes on No. 4 Texas in the first game on Wednesday. Shortly after, No. 2 South Carolina faces Duke, a team that recently fell out of the Top 25 but entered the season in the top 10. The championship and third place game will both happen on Thursday. 

Just like in the men's tournament, which expanded to 18 teams this year, each participating team will receive $1 million in NIL money. The players get all the money, which means each of them will receive around $75,000. 

Other than the money, the elite lineup is a great opportunity for the teams to test themselves against top competition early in the season. Founders of the event also believe this is an opportunity to get a brighter spotlight on college basketball during the fall.

"College basketball has always started in November. But let's give it more," Players Era co-founder Seth Berger told CBS Sports. "Let's give everyone a reason to watch, not just the most hardcore of the fans. So first and foremost, I thought there was an opportunity to create a great American sporting event, a tentpole event in November." 

Women's Player Era schedule

All times are Eastern

Wednesday, Nov. 26

  • No. 3 UCLA vs. No. 4 Texas | 2 p.m. | TruTV/HBO Max
  • Duke vs. No. 2 South Carolina | 4:30 p.m. | TruTV/HBO Max

Thursday, Nov. 27

  • Championship game | 8 p.m. | TruTV/HBO Max
  • Third place game | 10:30 p.m. | TruTV/HBO Max

UCLA vs. Texas prediction

The Texas defense is solid per usual, while its offense has improved significantly from last season and is now one of the most efficient ones in the nation. The Longhorns have reached 100+ points in three of their five games so far, but UCLA will be their biggest challenge yet. The Bruins already took care of two top-15 opponents, Oklahoma and North Carolina. They are fresh off an 88-37 win against Southern in which they held the Jaguars to a scoreless second quarter. What better opportunity for the Bruins to keep testing their defense than to face a team trying to display its offensive power? This game could go either way, but it feels like the Longhorns have the most to prove. Pick: Texas

South Carolina vs. Duke prediction

The Blue Devils had a lot of potential coming into the season, but they dropped out of the AP Top 25 last week. They had a chance to build confidence with a game against South Florida, but ultimately got upset 85-72 and now arrive in Las Vegas with a 3-3 record. Duke has not been consistent on offense, so it will be interesting so see how they bounce back while playing in a tournament with three teams who pride themselves on defense. The Blue Devils will also have to stay locked in on defense because South Carolina is pretty dangerous on both sides of the court. The Gamecocks took care of a ranked USC team  in Los Angeles and followed that up by scoring a combined 227 points in their games against Winthrop and Queens NC. Pick: South Carolina